The Quick 10: 10 Cool Corn Mazes

It has been a few years since I've made my way through a corn maze (a Maize Maze, to some), but these 10 have inspired me to seek one out this year.

1. The Milk Farm maze in Dixon, California, is the world’s biggest corn maze according to Guinness’ 2009 survey of the place, and at 45 acres, it’s two acres bigger this year! It’s so enormous it has a Starbucks stop in the middle so you can re-energize for the way out... if you can find it, that is.

2. The Cherry Crest Farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, could enter their mazes in Guinness as world’s largest works of corn art, because they’ve been making impressive images with their corn mazes since 1996. This year’s theme is “Outdoor Adventure” and celebrates scouting – you can see past years’ themes (Liberty Bell, Lost in Space, Noah’s Ark) on their site.

3. This one is from last year, but its Brian-and-Stewie-Griffin-shaped paths are worth a mention. The owner of Connors Farm in Danvers, Massachusetts, is such a big Family Guy fan that he mowed his maze in their likenesses. Fox gave him the OK to do it, and why wouldn’t they? Free advertising doesn’t get much bigger than that. The theme this year, by the way, is Clint Eastwood.

4. If you’re more of a Deadliest Catch fan than a Family Guy fan, don’t worry, there’s something for you, too – the first Captain Phil Harris Memorial Corn Maze in Tumwater, Washington. His sons were there for opening day on September 11.

5. Well, the Twilight craze has officially gone too far. Last year, to commemorate the opening of New Moon, Black Island Farms decided to capitalize on the hormones of teenagers everywhere by offering two Twilight-themed mazes: Team Edward and Team Jacob. And they’re doing it again this year for Eclipse. OMG.

6. If I lived anywhere in Michigan, I’d be steering clear of this one. A 20-acre clown-shaped maze almost certainly means (in my warped mind) that a clown will be jumping out to terrify you at some point, and I couldn’t function with that threat hanging over my head. But kudos to Crane Orchard for a lovely design.

7. This one is old, but so random I had to mention it: The David Archuleta corn maze. It was 2008, and while other corn mazes were doing Obama and Sarah Palin (really), this farm in David’s home state of Utah thought they could stand out from the crowd by portraying the American Idol contestant instead.

8. I bet this Ohio farmer is regretting last year’s maze (pictured). This year, Little Darby Creek in Milford, Ohio, has chosen to represent Buckeye football instead.

9. A Charles Darwin maze? Count me in. You could probably spend several hours lost in his beard alone. That was last year – this year’s Mike’s Maze in Sunderland, Massachusetts, will wind you through a can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup.

10. When McDonald’s wanted to get the buzz out about their new McCafe products a couple of years ago, they paid a farm in Lincoln, Nebraska, to carve a corn maze in their honor. Once people found their way out of the maze, they received coupons for free lattes.

Have you been to any of these? Or do you have an even better one near you?